Mens Kimono

What is the difference between mens kimono and womens kinomo?

Japanese mens kimono are more subdued in color than Japanese womens kimono. A man will choose his mens kimono carefully according to the occasion. There are three types of mens kimono - the first type of mens kimono is for ceremonial occasions. The second type of mens kimono is for formal occasionas and the third type of mens kimono is for informal occasions.

Japanese mens kimono for ceremonial occasions

For ceremonial occasions, Japanese mens kimono is black, crested kimono (kuro montsuki) worn with the haori and the long pleated skirt known as a hakama. The haori is the long, medium length or short coat.

Both the kimono and haori are made of black habutae silk and have the five family crests: (on the back of both sleeves, on the left and right breast and high on the back mid seam. The haori cords are white.

The full-length under kimono is made of dyed habutae silk without patterns, and the collar attached to the under kimono may be either white or gray.

The obi is the stiff (kaku) obi.

The hakama (or long pleated skirt) is made of striped Sendai hira silk.

White tabi, split-toed socks made of cotton calico, are worn with zori, which have a design of either white or black stripes.
The white folding fan that completes the ensemble is held in the hand or inserted in the hakama.

Japanese mens kimono for formal occasions

On formal occasions, Japanese mens kimono and haori made of unpatterned spun silk are worn.

The haori, which has a single crest on the back mid seam, either matches the color of the kimono or contrasts-lighter or darker-with the kimono color.

The haori cords should match the base color of the kimono and the haori.
The full-length under-kimono is often made of material with small patterns (komon or Edo komon). The inner collar may be white, gray or brown.

The kaku obi is tied at the waist, and zori with either black or white stripes are worn with either black or white tabi. Kimono of either spun silk or wool are chosen for informal occasions. If the material is spun silk, the kimono and haori are of the same color. The color and pattern of the full-length under-kimono may be chosen according to individual taste, but the inner collar and haori cords should be of a slightly different shade from the color of the kimono.